Floating deck, gas-tight type



June 11, 1929. v M, GRIFFIN 1,716,491

FLOATING DECK, GAS TIGHT TYPE Filed July 13, 1927 2 SheetsSheet l June11, 1929. A. M. GRIFFIN FLOATING DECK, GAS TIGHT TYPE Filed July 13,1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 attomaq' Patented June 11, 19 29.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAH M. GRIFFIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO CONSOLIDATED STEEL CORPORATION, OF LOS ANGELES, GALIIEOBNIA,

A CORPORATION OF cA'L'Iron-NIA.

FLOATING DECK,

Application filed July 13,

This invention relates to a floatin deck,

and refers particularly to the type of oating' deck which is employed inoil tanks or reservoirs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a floating deck of thetype inwhich a plurality of separately constructed pontoons areprovided, which pontoons are each However, the floating decks heretoforeconstructed have had each of the pontoons attached in fixed relation tothe adjacent pontoon and difliculty has been experienced in sealing thespaces between the pontoons. Moreover, when the pontoons are attached infixed relation each to the other, difliculty is experienced in certaincases in making the assembled deck properly fit within the tank orreservoir.

It is an object of the present'invention to provide a floating deck inwhich the relation between the individual pontoon members is adjustableso that the deck has a certain amount of variation in size and shape,and it is the object of the invention to provide such an adjustablepontoon deck without the sacrifice of the gas-tight properties of thedeck or' without permitting the puncture of a single pontoon of the deckto form a break in the deck or cause the entire deck to sink.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will beunderstood from a description of the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate a preferred form or example of a floating deck embodying theinvention.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of a tank provided witha floating deck embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is an elevation of Figure 1 mainly in vertical section,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental section of the peripheral sealconstruction,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental section GAS-TIGHT TYPE.

1927. Serial No. 205,334.

of the seals interconnecting the adjacent pontoon members, I V

Figure 5.is an enlarged fragmental section tank 'rovided with a valve 3at its lower end for discharge of water. 4 generally indicates thefloating deck for the tank 2. Said floating deck is made up of pontoons5 indicated as rectangular in section, each comprising a bottom plate 6,four side plates 7 and a top plate 8, the same being welded together toform an air-tight chamber 9. The top plate 8 of each of the pontoons isofgreater area than the bottom plate 6 and extends beyond the sideplates 7, as indicated at 10, and there has its outer ends turnedvertically downwardly, as indicated at 11. These downward extensions 11are sealing extensions and are positioned within the sealing troughs 12.The sealing troughs 12 are indicated as being of U-shape and extendingbetween the adjacent pontoons 5. v

The troughs 12 engage corner sealing members 13, each of which ispreferably provided with a downward extension 14 which serves as a legfor supporting the floating deck 4 when the floating deck sinks to thebotto m of the'tank '2. The corner sealing members 13 and sealingtroughs 12 are abutted together and attached by butt straps 15 andpacking 16. Each of the corner sealing members 13 is also provided atits center with an upwardly extending pin 17 extending above the top ofthe troughs, which pins are threaded at their upper ends to nuts 18.

Said nuts 18 in turn engage cover plates 19 for the sealing troughs, thecover plates 19 engaging the top plates 8 of the adjacent pontoons. j

The sealing troughs 12 and corner sealing members 13 are of greaterdepth than the downward extensions 11 of the top platesS so that suchextensions 11 normally have their lower ends spaced slightly from thebottom of the sealing troughs. In order to seal the deck from escape ofgas or fluid from between the pontoons, the sealing troughs 12 andcorner sealin members 13 are preferably filled with Surrounding theperiphery of the deck is a peripheral sealing trough 21in which theperipheral downward extensions 22 of the pontoons extend. Saidperipheral downward extensions of the pontoons are made cylindrical inform and the eripheral sealin troughs 21 are provided with a plurality0% pins 23 extending upwardly from the base of the trough which pins arethreaded to nuts 24 engaging plates 25v which in turn engage the topplates of adjacent pontoons and hold or support the peripheral sealingtroughs upon the deck. If desired, such sections of the deck as aread'acent the periphery of the deck, and indicate at 26 in Figure 1, maybe merely cover plates and not complete pontoon sec tions, although eachof such sections may comprise a s ecial shape of pontoon member ifdesired. lhe peripheral sealing troughs 21 support in turn peripheralsealing members 27 which have bow-shaped portions 28 normally engagingthe inner wall ofthe tank 2 and have inner extensions 29 turned down andsealed" within the sealing material 30 in the peripheral sealingtroughs. Preferably said peripheral seals are yieldingly urged towardthe tank walls by suitable means,such as a spring 31. The seals 27 mayconsist of one continuous seal or a plurality of overla ping or abuttingsealing plates.

11 order to discharge water from above the tank to below the tank, thereis provided a telescopic vertical discharge tube 33 having openings 34at its lower end.

The deck of the present invention provides a deck seal to preventthe.escape of gas from below the deck while at the same time permittingan adjustment of the relative positions of the ontoons, therebypermitting somewhat of an extension or contraction of the deck area inorder to best fit the tank 2. Moreover, this is accomplished withoutdanger that the deck surface will be broken if one or more of thepontoons are punctured since each pontoon is supported in position bythe adjacent pontoons of the deck.

While the particular form of floating deck herein described is welladapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, it isunderstood that various modifications and changes may be made, allcoming within the scope of the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. A floating deck comprising a plurality of buoyant members, saidbuoyant members having downwardly extending plates, sealing troughsbetween the buoyant members into which said extensions extend, andplastic sealing material in said troughs.

2. A floating deck comprising a plurality of buoyant members, saidbuoyant members having downwardly extending plates, sealing troughsbetween the buoyant members into which said extensions extend, plasticscaling material in said troughs, and means for adj ustably attachingsaid members in said trough. I

3. A floating deck comprising a plurality of buoyant members, saidbuoyant members having downwardly extending plates, sealing trou hsbetween the buoyant members into whic said extensions extend, plasticsealilzlg material in said troughs, and means fora j ustably attachingsaid members in said trough, said latter means including means formutually supporting each buoyant member from the adjacent buoyantmembers.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 7 day of July, 1927.

.ALVAH M. GRIFFIN.

